Comparing Architecture from Gothic Europe & Buddhist Southeast Asia

When examing art from prehistory, architecture has provided physical sanctuary and visual storytelling, especially when paying respects to a given culture and/or religion. In this blog post, we will explore two architectural sites from Gothic Europe and Buddhist Southeast Asia, and how culture and religion is seen and viewed at each site.

Architecture from Gothic Europe

Architecture from Gothic Europe first took place in late 13th century and early 14th century. During this period in art, artists studied the realties of the human body, as well as the hows, whens, and whys for how our bodies move in space. Artists defined this concept as naturalism,  symbolizing the need and want for more progress rather than advancement in society. We see this in one architectural site, the Siena Cathedral. The Siena Cathedral’s construction started on 1215, and was completed on 1348 in Siena Italy. The Siena Cathedral is defined as a Roman Catholic Church, and has collaborative artworks from famous artists and sculptors such as Nicola Pisano, Giovanni Pisano, Donatello, Michelangelo, Antonio Federighi, Vecchietta, Francesco di Giorgio Martini, Domenico Beccafumi, and so many others. The Siena Cathedral is made of marble, stained glass, sculpted stone, copper, paint, and other mosaic materials. Much of the artwork, may it be paintings or sculptures, payed homage to naturalism and the Roman Catholic religion, as well as the popes, angels, ceremonies, tombs, rituals from said time period.

Architecture from Buddhist Southeast Asia 

Architecture from Buddhist Southeast Asia began in 3rd century BCE, with its initial start in India, making its way on to the rest of Southeast Asia. We see this in one architectural site, The Temple of Kama - Khajuraho. The temples at Khajuraho were built during and by the Chandella dynasty, between the 10th and 12th century. Around twenty temples remain currently in Madhya Pradesh, India. The temples fall into three distinct groups and belong in two different religions, Hinduism and Jainism, two prominent religions seen in Buddhist Southeast Asia. The temples were built from granite, sandstone, iron, and no mortar stones. The temples are designed and shaped to resemble the Himalayan mountains, also known as “home to the gods”. The temples, with multiple sectors inside, are decorated with various sculptures symbolizing ceremonies, rituals, and different doctrines and gender role specifications from Hiduism and Jainism. Some examples of this are discussion around gods Buddha and Shiva, discussion around kharma (consequences of actions), dharma (one’s duty and moral responsibility) and atman (soul and the self), the baptizing of monks (being blessed with holy water = gaining new powers to grace society with), and embracing sexuality through nude statues. 

Conclusion

With both the Cathedral and the Temple, though both celebrate different religions, cultures, and gods, we see both architectural sites honor such through paintings, sculptures, and other mediums of art. With the Sienna Cathedral, we see visual representation of the Roman Catholic religion, while with The Temple of Khajuraho, we see visual representation of Hinduism and Jainism. By looking at architecture, from both Gothic Europe and Buddhist Southeast Asia, we can note of the various forms, where religion and culture have existed as artistic avenues for our understanding. These two architecural sites, as well as their corresponding time periods, make effort to express and embody belief. Both the Cathedral and the Temple are open to the public and can be visited. 

Sources

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/late-gothic-italy/siena-late-gothic/a/siena-in-the-late-gothic-an-introduction

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q474V62zQ80

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/late-gothic-italy/beginners-guide-late-gothic/a/introduction-to-late-gothic-art

some other article about the impact of buddhist southeast asian art